Space simulations sorted by release date

Space simulation games, as the name suggests, are all about flying a starship in the vastness of space. The gameplay usually involves one or more of the following activities: space combat, space exploration, trading commodities, taking missions, piracy, crafting, mining asteroids, etc. Some of the most popular space sim series are Wing Commander, Elite and X-Wing / Tie Fighter.

Most popular space simulation games

Wing Commander

vehicle simulationDOS

Frontier: Elite 2

vehicle simulationDOS

Noctis

vehicle simulationDOS, Windows XP/98/95

Space simulation games

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Star Fleet 1: The War Begins

DOSMac19853.7/5 Interstel Corporation
Deep space: Operation Copernicus

DOS19863.9/5 Lerner Research
Orbiter

DOSMac19863.8/5 Spectrum Holobyte
Psi 5 Trading Company

DOS1986protected4.1/5 Distinctive Software
Starglider

DOS19863.7/5 Argonaut Games
Elite

DOS1987freeware4.1/5 Firebird
Starlord

DOS19873.8/5
Tau Ceti

DOS19874.2/5
Skyfox II: The Cygnus Conflict

DOS19883.7/5 Dynamix
Star Trek: The Rebel Universe

DOS19883.8/5 Firebird
Star Wars

DOS19884.2/5 Atari
Space Rogue

DOS19894/5 Origin Systems

Space Rogue is a science fiction RPG developed by Richard Garriott's Origin and desined by Paul Neurath. Space Rogue combines a 3D space simulation with a top down view RPG gameplay. As a space pilot you can hunt bounties, buy and sell goods, land on starbases or outposts and talk to NPCs, do quests, etc.
Star Fleet 2: Krellan Commander

DOS19894.5/5 Interstel Corporation
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

DOS19893.4/5 Mindscape
Starglider 2

DOSMac19894.1/5 Argonaut Games
Lightspeed

DOS19903.5/5 MicroProse Software
LineWars

DOS19904/5 Safari Software
Wing Commander

DOS1990freeware4.1/5 Origin Systems
Xiphos

DOS19903.9/5
Elite Plus

DOS1991freeware4.1/5 Realtime Games
Wing Commander 2: Vengeance of the Kilrathi

DOS1991protected3.9/5 Origin Systems
Epic

DOS1992protected3.9/5 Digital Image Design
Shuttle: The Space Flight Simulator

DOS19924.1/5 Vektor graphics
Space MAX

DOS19923.3/5 Starbyte Software
WinTrek

Windows 3.x19923.8/5
Buzz Aldrin's Race into Space

DOS19934/5 Strategic Visions
Eye of the Storm

DOS19932.4/5 Rebellion Developments
Frontier: Elite 2

DOS19934.1/5 Frontier Developments

Frontier: Elite II is a classic space simulation and trading game released in 1993, developed by David Braben and his company Frontier Developments. Frontier is the sequel to the pioneering 1984 game Elite and is often considered a landmark title in the space simulation genre.
Nomad

DOS19934.2/5 Papyrus Design Group
Protostar: War on the Frontier

DOS19934.1/5 Tsunami Media